//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Urban Skirmish // Story: Legacies of the Fallen // by Lightning Spear //------------------------------// Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man - Henry Adams Eduard, Grey, and several Royal Guard archers were perched on the rooftops above the street where Trixie's performance took place, carefully eyeing their surroundings for any sign of danger. The humans, now a part of the Royal Guard, have been sent to Manehattan with Captain Lightning Spear and a platoon of guards to deal with a gang of rampaging minotaur rioters led by Iron Horns. Their target of choice; street performers and their audiences. They could strike fast and disappear faster, thanks to the help of their cells here in Manehattan. Luckily, the cells produced defectors who thought that all the killings must be stopped. And so, they spilled all information regarding the terror cells in Manehattan. Princess Luna's Spooks, assassins of the Night Sanctuary, will handle the dismantling of the terror cells, while the Royal Guards will handle Iron Horns and his gang. They had caused a lot of casualties, and Equestria's highest echelon agreed that the rioters should be put down. Things were going just fine, with no signs of trouble whatsoever, until Trixie shot a beam of bright light from her horn, resulting in a blinding flash. Every eye on the crowd fell on the group of humans, their gazes formed a strange blend of both curiosity and fear. Gervasius was about to rouse his companions back from their unconsciousness when he felt a sudden presence behind him. A threatening presence. Instinctively, he turned around and brandished his Crypt Blacksword and Greatshield of Glory in a defensive posture toward a dark alley behind him. This caused gasps from the crowd, as the size of Gervasius’ weaponry was much larger compared to anything they have ever seen, yet he wielded them as if they were nothing but feathers. And true to his suspicions, moments later, a towering minotaur clad in iron armor walked out from the alley, with a sword twice larger than Gervasius, and pointed threateningly to him...and the crowd of ponies. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that Seraphi and Elaine were still recovering from their displacements. With no intention of communicating, the creature charged at Gervasius. In this situation, normally Gervasius would have simply moved aside and let the attacker rammed a stone wall or, even better, fall into an abyss. However, if he acted as such now, the only thing that the minotaur would be ramming would be the crowd of ponies. He knew not what situation he had gotten himself into, but he knew when a threat was afoot. He focused his greatshield’s defensive stance and braced for impact. Just then, a small explosion of blue light impacted the minotaur's back. Seconds later, the minotaur dropped to the ground with an arrow embedded in its back. The armor near the impact vicinity was severely dented as well. Dead. By then, Seraphi and Elaine have recovered. "Magic arrows?" At that moment, ten more minotaurs appeared from the alleys nearby with their large weapons brandished. With no hesitation, they charged towards the crowd. However, their aggression was stopped cold as a yellow energy barrier surrounded the crowd in lightning speed. Despite their attempts to bypass the barrier, the minotaurs' efforts were futile. Some minotaurs, which were close enough to the newcomers however, were more interested in tearing the humans asunder. "DUCK!" Elaine shouted to her companions before she quickly fired two arrows from her Hunter's Blackbow at two charging minotaurs. An arrow found its way to a minotaur's eye socket and the other to the second minotaur's unprotected neck gap. Having been stunned, Gervasius and Seraphi made quick work of their attackers. Behind them, pained roars were heard. As they realized what had happened, all attacking minotaurs were slain or too injured to fight as multiple arrows and crossbow bolts pierced their bodies. However, just as it seemed they were in the clear, Royal Guard archers surrounded them from all directions with bows and crossbows at full draw aimed at them. The newcomers were too confused to comprehend what happened and where they were, and now they were being threatened by armored talking multicolored ponies. Despite their small size, their aims are not to be underestimated. Tension started brewing in the air. The trio didn't want to hurt what seemed to be the inhabitants of this land, yet they will defend themselves if necessary. "Stand down soldiers! We came here for Iron Horns' gang," Lightning boomed with his amplified voice as he stepped out from the crowd with Eduard and Grey rushing to his side, still carrying their Dragonrider Bow and Avelyn crossbow respectively. With a nod from Lightning, the guards began dispersing the crowd back to their homes. The archers lowered their weapons and Eduard stepped in to confront the newcomers, slinging the bow to his back and taking off his helmet which he tucked under his left arm. For a split second, he wondered who could they be, but as soon as he wondered, his own memory answered the questions. "Gervasius the Nimble Mountain. Well, I’ll be damned." "Eduard the Steadfast. I thought you were dead," said Gervasius as the two exchanged handshakes. "Sitting on a chair will not kill me. How did you get here?" Gervasius pulled out the Peacemaker's Oath scroll from his satchel. "I assume you arrived by the same means?" "Correct. So, has Drangleic become such a shit hole that Equestria has become a destination for our kind?" "I think it’s best if we speak in private. A hint, it is about the Brotherhood of Blood." Gervasius whispered out the last part. A chill ran up from Eduard's spine. Being a former member of the Blue Sentinels as well, he had his share of fights with them as well. And it was not a pleasant experience as some of them had driven a sword or two to his stomach. "I see. Well, it’s time we get out of here. Captain Lightning?" Eduard glanced at Lightning Spear who was locked in an argument with Trixie. "You have no right to shut down my show!" Trixie yelled. "Even if Iron Horns' gang is gone now, we need some time to make sure that everypony is safe to perform on the streets once again. Please, we are doing this for your own good!" "And who are the Royal Guards to say what's good and not for me?!" the magician snapped. "And what will you do if those minotaurs appear again?" Lightning retorted. Trixie fell into silence. "Look, I am sure the Royal Treasury will compensate you for the losses." "Really?" Lightning nodded. "And one more thing. I am coming with you to Canterlot to see that my losses are compensated with my own eyes, captain. That is not negotiable." Lightning was about to say no and enter another round, but seeing that Eduard has got 'the look' on his face, Lightning refrained himself and sighed. "Suit yourself." Trixie beamed with a smile and crunched Lightning into a hug; the sudden hug was unexpected, and the guard captain awkwardly returned the hug. "Celestia is going to have my head for this..." he mentally slapped himself. Trixie was still clinging to Lightning, but when she saw Grey walking towards them, she let go and cowered behind the captain. "You sure handled that well." Grey smirked underneath his hood. "Grey, Trixie. Trixie, Grey," Lightning introduced them, swiftly evading the course of Grey's subject. Trixie timidly stepped forward and extended her hoof which Grey bumped with his fist, a pony custom which he was getting used to. "Okay, we'll wait for the Rapid Cleaner Troops to arrive then we can go," Lightning told Eduard. "Looks like we have some more introductions on the way." "The more the merrier." Eduard chuckled. "Captain Lightning, is it? A question if I may." Seraphi asked. "Lightning is fine. Ask away milady." "Which one is Iron Horns?" "Oh, that's him over there, the one you stabbed." Lightning gestured to a hulking dead minotaur lying on the pavement. "Impressive, milady." "Like I said, the more the merrier." Eduard slapped Lightning's shoulder.